Frank White wrote:
In article t,
says...

William Wagner wrote:
In article ,
jetgraphics wrote:


I would appreciate any suggestions, ideas, or criticisms of the
idea of
using a trellis & wire system to support vines (climbing or
drooping) to
shade a rooftop and house side walls in Zone 7 (hot & humid).

Would suspended planters for droopers also work?

Furthermore, if anyone has information on suitable candidates for
an edible
sunshade, please post it.

Thank you.


Consider Malabar Spinach an annual. Grapes may be of interest
also.
Mix in moon flowers and other flowering vines for interest...NOT
Edible.

Bill


Kudzu is edible, vining, grows fast and I believe it does VERY well
in
Zone 7.

April Fools.
But seriously I'm sure you know better than to plant Kudzu.

If Kudzu WERE edible, world hungry would be a distant memory.
All the starving hordes in China could not eat those vines
as fast as they can regrow...

As it is, flamethrowers and nuclear weapons may be our only hope.

O_O

FW

TMEN ran an article about someone slashing a bunch of kudzu and
bringing it home to feed the goats. Some consider goats edible. ;^)

In article
. com,
says...
you have many edible choices. I would only have a perennial vine, so I
would not consider Malabar spinach or chayote. Besides grapes, hardy
kiwis (but not fuzzy kiwis, unless it is a sheltered location - they
will take 20F for short periods, no more), akebia, and schizandra.
Hardy kiwis and schizandra are the best looking plants.


Noooo... the edible thing "kiwifruit."

A "kiwi" is bird (supposedly named after the sound it
makes.) Also, "kiwi" can mean a human from New
Zealand. The bird-type kiwi is the national bird, and
legally protected. And eating the human-type kiwi went
out of style about 150 years ago.


--
NZ Site
http://www.nzsite.co.nz
Your Guide To New Zealand

Just a thought. We used wire one year to allow climbers to climb. Burnt the
stems. And we are only in zone 5b.

--
Dana
www3.sympatico.ca/lostmermaid
"jetgraphics" wrote in message
...
I would appreciate any suggestions, ideas, or criticisms of the idea of
using a trellis & wire system to support vines (climbing or drooping) to
shade a rooftop and house side walls in Zone 7 (hot & humid).

Would suspended planters for droopers also work?

Furthermore, if anyone has information on suitable candidates for an
edible
sunshade, please post it.

Thank you.

Katra wrote:
In article ,
David wrote:


Katra wrote:

In article ,
jetgraphics wrote:



I would appreciate any suggestions, ideas, or criticisms of the idea of
using a trellis & wire system to support vines (climbing or drooping) to
shade a rooftop and house side walls in Zone 7 (hot & humid).

Would suspended planters for droopers also work?

Furthermore, if anyone has information on suitable candidates for an edible
sunshade, please post it.

Thank you.




Grapevines? :-)
The only problem with those is that they lose their leaves in the winter.

You could also try Passiflora edulis or Passiflora incarnata.
Those both produce edible fruits, and they tend to be evergreen.

My Passiflora cerulea stayed green all winter thru 4 or 5 good freezes.
I want to find some of the other two species and get them planted here
as well.

Plastic lattice as a trellis looks nice and is more durable than wood
lattice. It's more expensive but lasts forever, and it comes in colors!


Any suggestions on how to get Passiflora edulis seeds to sprout. I
received a bunch as a gift last fall, so far I've tried pete tabs and
sowing them straight into potting soil in 4 inch pots. So far nary a
sprout is to be seen. Should I pre-soak the seeds? score them, soak them
in alcohol or peroxide?

Thanks in advance.
David



I am new to passiflora... so have no experience (yet) to pass on.
Did a brief google tho' and this site looks promising for this:

http://www.passionflow.co.uk/seed211.htm

I am hoping to get seeds this year, but will also experiment with
starting from cuttings. Mine is P. cerulea.


Thanks for the link. I'd done some searching previously, but had not
seen this page. Looks like I have some experimentation ahead of me. Good
luck with your P. cerulea.

In article
.com
, says...

jetgraphics wrote:
I would appreciate any suggestions, ideas, or criticisms of the idea
of
using a trellis & wire system to support vines (climbing or drooping)
to
shade a rooftop and house side walls in Zone 7 (hot & humid).

Would suspended planters for droopers also work?

Furthermore, if anyone has information on suitable candidates for an
edible
sunshade, please post it.

Thank you.

Cascade Hops. Put them in your homebrewed beer.

Also, string beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash and melons will climb a
trellis. Consider dipper gourds and loofahs.


Maybe try peas. Edible, and also have nice flowers.


--
Get Credit Where Credit Is Due
http://www.cardreport.com/
Credit Tools, Reference, and Forum

David said the following on 03/04/2005 04:38 pm:

Katra wrote:

In article ,
David wrote:


Katra wrote:

In article ,
jetgraphics wrote:



I would appreciate any suggestions, ideas, or criticisms of the
idea of
using a trellis & wire system to support vines (climbing or
drooping) to
shade a rooftop and house side walls in Zone 7 (hot & humid).
Would suspended planters for droopers also work?

Furthermore, if anyone has information on suitable candidates for
an edible
sunshade, please post it.

Thank you.

snip


I am hoping to get seeds this year, but will also experiment with
starting from cuttings. Mine is P. cerulea.


Thanks for the link. I'd done some searching previously, but had not
seen this page. Looks like I have some experimentation ahead of me. Good
luck with your P. cerulea.


http://www.pfaf.org/
Plants for a future has a database of over 7000 useful plants. Might be
worth a look at.

Andy

In article ,
David wrote:

Katra wrote:
In article ,
David wrote:


Katra wrote:

In article ,
jetgraphics wrote:



I would appreciate any suggestions, ideas, or criticisms of the idea of
using a trellis & wire system to support vines (climbing or drooping) to
shade a rooftop and house side walls in Zone 7 (hot & humid).

Would suspended planters for droopers also work?

Furthermore, if anyone has information on suitable candidates for an
edible
sunshade, please post it.

Thank you.




Grapevines? :-)
The only problem with those is that they lose their leaves in the winter.

You could also try Passiflora edulis or Passiflora incarnata.
Those both produce edible fruits, and they tend to be evergreen.

My Passiflora cerulea stayed green all winter thru 4 or 5 good freezes.
I want to find some of the other two species and get them planted here
as well.

Plastic lattice as a trellis looks nice and is more durable than wood
lattice. It's more expensive but lasts forever, and it comes in colors!


Any suggestions on how to get Passiflora edulis seeds to sprout. I
received a bunch as a gift last fall, so far I've tried pete tabs and
sowing them straight into potting soil in 4 inch pots. So far nary a
sprout is to be seen. Should I pre-soak the seeds? score them, soak them
in alcohol or peroxide?

Thanks in advance.
David



I am new to passiflora... so have no experience (yet) to pass on.
Did a brief google tho' and this site looks promising for this:

http://www.passionflow.co.uk/seed211.htm

I am hoping to get seeds this year, but will also experiment with
starting from cuttings. Mine is P. cerulea.


Thanks for the link. I'd done some searching previously, but had not
seen this page. Looks like I have some experimentation ahead of me. Good
luck with your P. cerulea.



Thank you! :-)
I'm currently attempting hand pollination of some blossoms to try to
induce fruiting. I want to try seed propagation, but am also planning on
playing around with air layering for clone propagation.

--
K.

Sprout the Mung Bean to reply...

There is no need to change the world. All we have to do is toilet train the world and we'll never have to change it again. -- Swami Beyondanada

,,Cat's Haven Hobby Farm,,Katraatcenturyteldotnet,,

http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...user id=katra

Katra wrote:
In article ,
David wrote:


Katra wrote:

In article ,
David wrote:



Katra wrote:


In article ,
jetgraphics wrote:




I would appreciate any suggestions, ideas, or criticisms of the idea of
using a trellis & wire system to support vines (climbing or drooping) to
shade a rooftop and house side walls in Zone 7 (hot & humid).

Would suspended planters for droopers also work?

Furthermore, if anyone has information on suitable candidates for an
edible
sunshade, please post it.

Thank you.




Grapevines? :-)
The only problem with those is that they lose their leaves in the winter.

You could also try Passiflora edulis or Passiflora incarnata.
Those both produce edible fruits, and they tend to be evergreen.

My Passiflora cerulea stayed green all winter thru 4 or 5 good freezes.
I want to find some of the other two species and get them planted here
as well.

Plastic lattice as a trellis looks nice and is more durable than wood
lattice. It's more expensive but lasts forever, and it comes in colors!


Any suggestions on how to get Passiflora edulis seeds to sprout. I
received a bunch as a gift last fall, so far I've tried pete tabs and
sowing them straight into potting soil in 4 inch pots. So far nary a
sprout is to be seen. Should I pre-soak the seeds? score them, soak them
in alcohol or peroxide?

Thanks in advance.
David



I am new to passiflora... so have no experience (yet) to pass on.
Did a brief google tho' and this site looks promising for this:

http://www.passionflow.co.uk/seed211.htm

I am hoping to get seeds this year, but will also experiment with
starting from cuttings. Mine is P. cerulea.


Thanks for the link. I'd done some searching previously, but had not
seen this page. Looks like I have some experimentation ahead of me. Good
luck with your P. cerulea.




Thank you! :-)
I'm currently attempting hand pollination of some blossoms to try to
induce fruiting. I want to try seed propagation, but am also planning on
playing around with air layering for clone propagation.


And here I thought I'd just throw some seed in the ground and get some
passion fruit. And to think, I used to collect the fruit in the wild
when I lived in Hawai'i. There were at least three varieties I knew
where stands of them were. Oh well. At least I know the work will be
well worth it. But clone propogation? You are way ahead of me there.

In article ,
David wrote:

Katra wrote:
In article ,
David wrote:


Katra wrote:

In article ,
David wrote:



Katra wrote:


In article ,
jetgraphics wrote:




I would appreciate any suggestions, ideas, or criticisms of the idea of
using a trellis & wire system to support vines (climbing or drooping) to
shade a rooftop and house side walls in Zone 7 (hot & humid).

Would suspended planters for droopers also work?

Furthermore, if anyone has information on suitable candidates for an
edible
sunshade, please post it.

Thank you.




Grapevines? :-)
The only problem with those is that they lose their leaves in the winter.

You could also try Passiflora edulis or Passiflora incarnata.
Those both produce edible fruits, and they tend to be evergreen.

My Passiflora cerulea stayed green all winter thru 4 or 5 good freezes.
I want to find some of the other two species and get them planted here
as well.

Plastic lattice as a trellis looks nice and is more durable than wood
lattice. It's more expensive but lasts forever, and it comes in colors!


Any suggestions on how to get Passiflora edulis seeds to sprout. I
received a bunch as a gift last fall, so far I've tried pete tabs and
sowing them straight into potting soil in 4 inch pots. So far nary a
sprout is to be seen. Should I pre-soak the seeds? score them, soak them
in alcohol or peroxide?

Thanks in advance.
David



I am new to passiflora... so have no experience (yet) to pass on.
Did a brief google tho' and this site looks promising for this:

http://www.passionflow.co.uk/seed211.htm

I am hoping to get seeds this year, but will also experiment with
starting from cuttings. Mine is P. cerulea.


Thanks for the link. I'd done some searching previously, but had not
seen this page. Looks like I have some experimentation ahead of me. Good
luck with your P. cerulea.




Thank you! :-)
I'm currently attempting hand pollination of some blossoms to try to
induce fruiting. I want to try seed propagation, but am also planning on
playing around with air layering for clone propagation.


And here I thought I'd just throw some seed in the ground and get some
passion fruit. And to think, I used to collect the fruit in the wild
when I lived in Hawai'i. There were at least three varieties I knew
where stands of them were. Oh well. At least I know the work will be
well worth it. But clone propogation? You are way ahead of me there.


shrugs It's often easier and faster, hence more rewarding than seed
propagation. My two Wisteria vines are a perfect example! 5 years old
started from seed and only 12" tall. :-P

I bought a good book by Rodale's on plant propagation and it's very very
well written! Air layering seems to be the most promising for a lot of
perrennials.

Just take a small pot of good soil, (I plan to use Miracle Grow) and
place it near the main vine or plant. Choose a nice section of vine or
whatever, and select a promising joint where the leaves are coming out.
Remove the leaves and stuff that section an inch or so into the soil,
then just leave it alone for a period of time until that section sprouts
roots into the soil.

That can then be cut from the "mother plant" to make a new plant. :-)

Seems to be a bit more sure than cutting propagation using rooting
compound.

Kat

--
K.

Sprout the Mung Bean to reply...

There is no need to change the world. All we have to do is toilet train the world and we'll never have to change it again. -- Swami Beyondanada

,,Cat's Haven Hobby Farm,,Katraatcenturyteldotnet,,

http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...user id=katra

jetgraphics wrote:
I would appreciate any suggestions, ideas, or criticisms of the idea of
using a trellis & wire system to support vines (climbing or drooping) to
shade a rooftop and house side walls in Zone 7 (hot & humid).

Would suspended planters for droopers also work?

Furthermore, if anyone has information on suitable candidates for an edible
sunshade, please post it.

Thank you.


Besides grapvines, you might consider pumpkins and squash. I grow
pumpkins in the rear of our garden and in the sideyard, next to the
house because it's that much less grass to cut. The pumpkins in the back
grow on a 9 foot tall pipe trellis every year because I grow other
plants on the same trellis under them - tomatoes and beans last year.
(The lower level of plants is not shaded much by the pumpkins because of
their much lower height and the East/West orientation of the trellis.)

I don't grow monster pumpkins, just smaller, cooking pumpkins, and the
fruit manages to hang quite nicely all on their own without falling off
and bashing innocent bystanders.

They give me a nice shady spot to boot when I "train" the vines to go up
and across right where I plant my own butt on my bench by using some
heavy cording. The only down side is removing the dead plants in the fall!

You might also want to consider hanging planters for both vining and
non-vining plants as more passive shading. That way you could have the
flexibility of extending the shaded period by planting cold-weather
plants in the early spring and fall.

In article ,
Evelyn McHugh wrote:

jetgraphics wrote:
I would appreciate any suggestions, ideas, or criticisms of the idea of
using a trellis & wire system to support vines (climbing or drooping) to
shade a rooftop and house side walls in Zone 7 (hot & humid).

Would suspended planters for droopers also work?

Furthermore, if anyone has information on suitable candidates for an edible
sunshade, please post it.

Thank you.


Besides grapvines, you might consider pumpkins and squash. I grow
pumpkins in the rear of our garden and in the sideyard, next to the
house because it's that much less grass to cut. The pumpkins in the back
grow on a 9 foot tall pipe trellis every year because I grow other
plants on the same trellis under them - tomatoes and beans last year.
(The lower level of plants is not shaded much by the pumpkins because of
their much lower height and the East/West orientation of the trellis.)

I don't grow monster pumpkins, just smaller, cooking pumpkins, and the
fruit manages to hang quite nicely all on their own without falling off
and bashing innocent bystanders.

They give me a nice shady spot to boot when I "train" the vines to go up
and across right where I plant my own butt on my bench by using some
heavy cording. The only down side is removing the dead plants in the fall!

You might also want to consider hanging planters for both vining and
non-vining plants as more passive shading. That way you could have the
flexibility of extending the shaded period by planting cold-weather
plants in the early spring and fall.

Ok, removable trellises...

If you are going to grow squash, pumpkins, or other vining "veggies"
that die back in the winter, just use a disposable trellis! :-)

Make a trellis out of hemp cording. That way, when the vines die or
freeze, you just cut the entire string trellis down and discard it...

I've never done it, but I've read about it!

Dead vine removal is a mess. :-P
--
K.

Sprout the MungBean to reply

"I don't like to commit myself about heaven and hell‹you
see, I have friends in both places." --Mark Twain

jetgraphics wrote:
Thanks to everyone

Collected posts:
-----------
Consider Malabar Spinach an annual.****Grapes*may*be*of*interest*also.**
Mix in moon flowers and other flowering vines for interest...NOT Edible.
-----------
In addition to the above, Not quite edible, perhaps useful if you brew
your own beer though, is hops.**You*could*train*some*indeterminate*
tomatos, some pole beans, maybe a small melon or summer squash??
Lots of plants that are edible have a vining habit.
----------------
Grapevines? :-)
The only problem with those is that they lose their leaves in the winter.

You could also try Passiflora edulis or Passiflora incarnata.
Those both produce edible fruits, and they tend to be evergreen.

My Passiflora cerulea stayed green all winter thru 4 or 5 good freezes.
I want to find some of the other two species and get them planted here
as well.

Plastic lattice as a trellis looks nice and is more durable than wood
lattice. It's more expensive but lasts forever, and it comes in colors!
-----------------
Have you tried the "choko"
----------------
Honeysuckle is sorta nice and moderatly easy to maintain where you
want it. But its not edible. Smells really nice though.
------------------
Check with your county agricultural extension office.**It*may*be*listed
under the state college (in New York, it is Cornell Extension office).
Their information and publications are mostly free and will be geared to
your exact location.**They*also*usually*are*the*base*for*4-H*groups*and*you
could get information through them.

In China, they grow grape vines that shade pig runs.**The*floor*of*the*runs
(cement) is slightly sloped so that when hosed down, the water and manure
flow to water and fertilize the vines.**Multiple*use.
----------------------
Kiwis would**be*a*good*choice*(if*you're*willing*to*cons ider*perennials).
There are hardy varieties than can be grown to zone 4, or the more familiar
fuzzy varieties, which are hardy to zone 8 and might be ok in zone 7 if you
got lucky. They're fairly attractive and grow quickly, but take a while
before they'll start giving fruit. But would be lower maintenance than
annual vines, and you'll eventually get a lot more height out of them.

The problem you will run into with most typical climbing vegetables is that
they don't grow that tall. You might be able to get about 8 ft out of pole
beans, and 10-15 ft out of some types of runner beans, but that'll be about
it. Curcubits (squash, cukes, pumpkins, etc.) will probably top out at
around 6-8 ft. They (both beans and curcubits) also are fairly prone to a
variety of pests: leaf-eating insects, soil dwelling insects, and various
mildews and so on. Doesn't mean you shouldn't try them; just means they're
one of those plants that can be hit-or-miss, even for experienced gardeners.

If I were you, I'd experiment with the edible shade concept for now, but
also plant a proper row of quick-maturing shade trees. By the time the trees
get taller than the crop plants, you'll probably be sick of trying to grow
dinner on the side of your house and be ready to move your efforts to a
proper garden space.
--------------------
I use Thompson Seedless grapes on trellises.**Plenty*bushy,*plenty
shady, need little to no water, makes wine, grapes, raisins.
----------------------
Any suggestions on minimum / maximum spacing between a wall and a trellis?

I'd allow at least four feet, both for ease of access during harvest
and pruning and to minimize the likelyhood of creepers bridging the
gap.


You
want
shade, plant some trees.
Shade trees aren't the best solution in this area. Unfortunately, due to
the
clay soil, trees are susceptible to knockdown after soaking rains and
windstorms.

Use trees with tap roots--like pecans. When planting, dig a hole as deep
as you can with a posthole digger (rent a power augur if doing more than
a few holes; much less work, and you can go deeper). Dump a pound or two
of fertilizer into the holes, then add 10-15 gallons of water (I just
fill the hole a couple of times). Break up some of the clay from the
holes, mix with some peat moss, compost, topsoil, and a bit of plant
food; use this to backfill the hole and surround the tree roots when you
plant the tree. Save a bit of the mix for filling in around the trees,
as the mix will settle. Use the leftover clay for landscaping.

This approach gives the tree a good environment to start growing, an
easy path for the tap root to follow, and a great boost at the bottom
to really anchor it.

And, using pecans also means a crop to gather in late fall. Pecans
should be planted at least 40' apart.
----------------------------------
Just a thought. We used wire one year to allow climbers to climb. Burnt the
stems. And we are only in zone 5b.
-----------------------
Also, string beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash and melons will climb a
trellis.**Consider*dipper*gourds*and*loofahs.
------------------------
Besides grapvines, you might consider pumpkins and squash. I grow
pumpkins in the rear of our garden and in the sideyard, next to the
house because it's that much less grass to cut. The pumpkins in the back
grow on a 9 foot tall pipe trellis every year because I grow other
plants on the same trellis under them - tomatoes and beans last year.
(The lower level of plants is not shaded much by the pumpkins because of
their much lower height and the East/West orientation of the trellis.)

I don't grow monster pumpkins, just smaller, cooking pumpkins, and the
fruit manages to hang quite nicely all on their own without falling off
and bashing innocent bystanders.

They give me a nice shady spot to boot when I "train" the vines to go up
and across right where I plant my own butt on my bench by using some
heavy cording. The only down side is removing the dead plants in the fall!

You might also want to consider hanging planters for both vining and
non-vining plants as more passive shading. That way you could have the
flexibility of extending the shaded period by planting cold-weather
plants in the early spring and fall.
----------------------

Ok, removable trellises...

If you are going to grow squash, pumpkins, or other vining "veggies"
that die back in the winter, just use a disposable trellis! :-)

Make a trellis out of hemp cording. That way, when the vines die or
freeze, you just cut the entire string trellis down and discard it...

-----------------------------

On Sat, 02 Apr 2005 12:22:50 GMT, David wrote:



Katra wrote:
In article ,
jetgraphics wrote:


I would appreciate any suggestions, ideas, or criticisms of the idea of
using a trellis & wire system to support vines (climbing or drooping) to
shade a rooftop and house side walls in Zone 7 (hot & humid).

Would suspended planters for droopers also work?

Furthermore, if anyone has information on suitable candidates for an edible
sunshade, please post it.

Thank you.




Grapevines? :-)
The only problem with those is that they lose their leaves in the winter.

You could also try Passiflora edulis or Passiflora incarnata.
Those both produce edible fruits, and they tend to be evergreen.

My Passiflora cerulea stayed green all winter thru 4 or 5 good freezes.
I want to find some of the other two species and get them planted here
as well.

Plastic lattice as a trellis looks nice and is more durable than wood
lattice. It's more expensive but lasts forever, and it comes in colors!


Any suggestions on how to get Passiflora edulis seeds to sprout. I
received a bunch as a gift last fall, so far I've tried pete tabs and
sowing them straight into potting soil in 4 inch pots. So far nary a
sprout is to be seen. Should I pre-soak the seeds? score them, soak them
in alcohol or peroxide?

I read in one of the gardening books that you might try soaking them in a
vinegar solution to help them germinate. It's supposed to simulate the acid they
go through inside the stomachs of birds when they're eaten in the wild.
I'm fortunate enough to have some wild passionflowers growing on my property,
but I was thinking of trying to spread them around a bit more. I did gather a
few of the fruit last year. Maybe I'll experiment with the seeds and see if I
can get them to germinate. I was also thinking maybe nicking the seeds might do
the trick.


Growing old is mandatory. Growing wise is optional.